In conventional computer or online gaming, characters are typically created by users for interaction with a virtual world or game. Establish accounts, users (i.e., players or person playing a game, whether a PC/desktop, online, massively multiplayer online (e.g., MMO), or console game) typically specify preferences, criteria, rules, characteristics, or other parameters associated with a character, its appearance, capabilities, and other aspects of game play. As characters interact within a game, various activities and events typically occur. During game play or within a game environment, users often interact with each other by creating lists of other characters or other users, often communicating using chat or another messaging feature deployed in the game environment. However, conventional solutions are limited, often restricting the type and amount of information, and the manner in which the information is shared with other players.
In some conventional solutions, massively multi-player online games (i.e., MMOG, MMO, MMORPG (i.e., massively multiplayer online role playing games)) typically allow users to communicate with each other, often using messaging techniques deployed within a game environment or implemented for use within a game environment using one or more specialized servers to provide communication capabilities. However, conventional solutions face a constant challenge in attempting to entice additional users to enroll and play a particular game, engage in social networks within a game environment, or allow limited types of information to be shared among users. Further, conventional solutions (i.e., games and gaming applications) often prevent users from sharing game, character, or other related data or information outside of a game environment, often requiring users to be logged into the game environment. Typically, when users are logged into a game environment, conventional solutions are not configured to allow observation of another user's activities or events affecting other users (e.g., a battle occurring in another part of a virtual world of a game that may not involve both users). Still further, conventional games and gaming applications allow game data to be used only within a particular title or game, preventing the use of game data with other applications.
In some conventional solutions, in-game data such as combat logs, inventory lists, character, and game performance data offer features that allow users to observe another user's actions or view another user's character information, but only when the observing user is logged into the game environment. In other conventional solutions, users must affirmatively and manually “push” game status, statistics, level, avatar, or character information to other users. Further, conventional solutions allow basic types of information to be sent only after being manually retrieved by a user. Alternatively, conventional “pull” solutions for retrieving game data and information must be performed by accessing different sources, typically requiring users to log into a game or gaming application, retrieve desired data, configure rules, filters, preferences, or other parameters. Further, conventional solutions such as MMO games and gaming applications are technically limiting and unable to provide real-time (i.e., game-time) data or information and do not support sending game data outside of the game environment.
Despite these limitations, conventional games and gaming applications are becoming increasingly popular and users are sharing information associated with events and activities affecting their characters using conventional social networking applications and websites (“sites”). However, using conventional social networking applications to share game-related events and activities is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and provides the ability to view static, time-late information. As a conventional example, a user shares her character's experiences during a battle within a game environment by manually capturing or recording a segment of animation and posts (i.e., uploads, stores, and configures for access by others), pasting it into an email, or posting it to a social networking website, all of which are time-consuming and labor-intensive. By sending email, IM, chat, or other types of messages to other users, the user is able to invite other users to view the posted content. However, the content is created, posted, and configured through time, labor, and expertise-intensive user efforts, which reduces the appeal of games and gaming applications and, subsequently, limits commercial success and revenue potential.
Thus, what is needed is a solution for sharing game data or information without the limitations of conventional techniques.